


Slow Burn

by Shatterpath



Series: Avengers: based on The Ultimate Fanfic Challenge [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bonding, Drinking, Drunk Steve, Gen, Thor Is Not Stupid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2014-09-12
Packaged: 2018-02-17 02:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 3,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2293949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A rambling series of events to bond the team closer together.</p><p>These are all very free-form and rambley, but ended up painting a semi-coherent thread, so I grouped them together as chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Air

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've had this 'The Ultimate FanFic Challenge' floating around my computer for years. A table of 100 one or two word prompts, some of which are interrelated. (eg: spring, summer, fall, winter) Since I'm a recent Marvel Movieverse convert, and an even more recent Steve/Natasha convert, I flicked the dust off this table, borrowed the roomie's 10-sided dice and got to work! There will be little rhyme or reason to these ficlets, though some will be interrelated and posted as such. Enjoy!
> 
> Prompt will be title of each chapter.
> 
> First chapter is Prompt #54: Air

Few things terrified Natasha much anymore, but getting blown off a 40-story building brought her heart up in her throat. No matter how quick and strong she was, the pavement far below would still crush her to chunky salsa. 

Luckily, she wasn't working on her own today.

With a roar that would have once terrified her at least as much as the approaching case of momentum poisoning, the green blur that was the Hulk launched out of nowhere to rattle Natasha's teeth her skull as he plucked her out of mid-fall. With several crunchy impacts that reminded her off high speed chases ending in a wreck, Nat squeaked involuntarily as she was dropped again.

But this time there was no danger and she knew the strong arms that caught her and the tinny ping of bullets against vibranium.

"Good catch," Steve hollered and Hulk roared again, his voice already fading. With a crackle of lightning and the accompanying boom of thunder, the gunmen screamed and fell silent.

"Hawkeye, you safe?"

"I'm good, Cap," Clint's voice carried breathlessly over the comms. "Is Nat…?"

"I've got her, safe and sound. Get yourself down safely, mister."

"Yeah, about that…"

"I'll send Thor up."

Laughter burbled in Natasha's throat at the usual interplay of the group, not minding that it was her bacon that needed saving this round. Each of them had taken hits over time, limping or being carried away in various states of disrepair. Attention caught by the small chuckle, Thor flashed that 1000 watt grin as he spun the hammer and was off to retrieve her partner.

"Aw, how cute," Tony mocked as he returned to drop an armload of ordinance and a slightly spindled thug onto the smoking rubble left by Thor's lightning bolt. Natasha ignored him and remained tucked up against Steve's chest and behind his iconic shield as he surveyed the scene. Right now, her squirming would be a distraction and that would be bad teamwork.


	2. Stumble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was: #99: Writer's Choice: Stumble

The sounds of battle were winding down to Steve's enhanced senses, the wail of sirens approaching in that strange, unnatural silence that always falls over a battlefield at the end.

"I have you," Thor's voice carried over the comm in his ear, followed up by Clint's happy relief.

"Good to see you, big guys. C'mon, Banner, you can hitch a ride with me on the Asgardian Express."

Thor grunted and Clint hissed. 

"There, you are free now. Is your foot functional?"

"Yeah, I can still feel everything, I just got pinned."

"Come then, my friends!"

Relieved that everyone was okay for another battle, Steve abruptly remembered his armful and shifted to set Natasha down. But the movement was aborted with her hiss of pain. A glance down showed that she was clearly favoring her right leg, ankle or knee, he wasn't sure. Well, at least she was small and light, unlike some of the soldiers he'd dragged away from battles.

"Back up you go. Stay behind the shield and watch my back."

Nodding, Natasha did as ordered, once more curling up in the curve of his thick arm, gritting her teeth at the pain in her leg, but not making a sound. Twenty minutes later, the Avengers finally came together in the street to regroup and evacuate the area now that it had been cleared.

"I'm just glad it wasn't you I had to cart around," Steve snarked at Clint, who was limping a bit, but otherwise fine. With a flick of the wrist, the iconic shield was on his back and he resettled his grip on Natasha, who gave her smirking partner a dirty look.


	3. Purple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was #16: Purple

Steve chuckled at the nurse stumbling out of the door rubbing her limp arm and scowling.

"The numbness will fade in a few minutes," he assured the woman as he passed her and grabbed the door before it swung completely shut. "If you're done tormenting the staff, I'm here to collect you."

Natasha's green-eyed glare didn't let up, but just a touch of the tension across her shoulders bled away. Sighing, Steve walked over the hospital bed and grabbed the sheet and light blanket to whip it away from her legs. Her blink of surprise made him grin, but the happy expression fading as he saw the spectacular discoloration like stormclouds over her skin. A glance at her icy expression told him that any sympathy would not be well met, so he crossed his arms and gave her a level look more at home on his cowled face while in uniform as Captain America. Not jeans and t-shirt Steve Rodgers.

"So, you have two choices. Well three really, though I know you won't opt for the first. One, you can stay here to finish healing, possibly under heavy sedation for the safety of the staff. Two, you leave in a wheelchair. Three, I carry you. There's a car waiting to minimize media drama."

Never let it be said that Natasha Romanoff didn't have an implacable stare that made an iceberg look friendly, but Steve held his ground. Finally, she deflated with a huff so dramatic that Steve found himself chuckling, and crossed her arms petulantly. That, combined with the plain white shirt and shorts made her look very young and ordinary.

"Fine. I'll take the cheap thrill of using you as my personal whipping boy. Are they really not going to let me walk out of here?"

"Nope," Steve said cheerfully, glad to be past the fireworks part of his errand. "And you damn well better minimize how much hobbling you do around the tower, or the rest of us will take turns babysitting you. Day and night, Trouble."

Natasha grumbled something dire sounding in Russian that made him laugh, but helped with tucking the bed sheet around her legs. With easy gentleness, Steve wiggled his arm beneath his teammate, noting her exhale of pain as the bruised leg was moved, but he managed to get said leg to rest against his upper arm. Phil Coulson stepped in as they got settled, gesturing with a clipboard of papers. "Shall we?"


	4. Lovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was #23: Lovers
> 
> This one stumped me for a bit, coming as it did so soon in the tale, but I rather like the take I found on it.

"Captain! Captain!"

Gritting his teeth, because few things were more annoying than the rabid weasels of this modern day's press, Steve hesitated. That faint stutter-step sent the pack of them into a frenzy, questions firing out like German foxholes full of machine guns. Some of the things that came out of those people's mouths still stunned him. Even as he recoiled from a particularly lurid suggestion, Steve completely missed the glance shared between Iron Man and a stone-faced Hawkeye. In an instant, the later was all smiles, heading towards some of the reporters as a diversion even as Steve startled from a, well, iron grip around his upper torso.

"Hey, even if he were, could you blame the guy?" Tony schmoozed with expertise, his tone carrying through the suit's speakers quite clearly. "Good looking superhero like this should have a pretty lady to help him get his sea legs under him, right?"

With laughter that felt more like leering, the rabid pack shouted and seethed and snapped hundreds of photos.

"Besides, how many men do you think could really handle the Black Widow?"

It took a real effort to not turn his aghast shock onto Tony, but a sharp squeeze from the one-armed hug silenced him. Steve knew a warning when he felt it. Honestly, it was bad enough not having her subtle presence at his back, then to add this… maligning of her character…

That the rumor and innuendo would only make her smirk, given what she did for a living, did little to dent Steve's old-fashioned sensibilities. 

Abruptly, a limo pulled up and the door popped open with seemingly no assistance from human hands. A lovely leg stretched out and a moment later, Natasha herself leaned into the doorway with a warm grin. "You boys need a ride?"

Bruce was in motion before she'd finished speaking and even Steve's super-strength couldn't resist the shove from the Iron Man suit.


	5. Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was #15: Blue
> 
> I confess that I'm not a big fan of big, noisy puppy dog Thor. This may be because my sole exposure to the character is the films, where he is anything but. So that determined my portrayal of him.

"Stupid, stupid, chickenshit fucker," Steve quietly berated himself, pounding on the heavy bag that swung around heavily. Turns out Coulson's suggestion of a heavily reinforced heavy bag filled with steel ball bearings and some weird memory foam actually not only held up better to Steve's ability to damage, but gave him something to really wail away at. The sound was a bit disconcerting, but he hardly noticed through his self-castigation. 

"Knock you down to 4F for terminal stupids."

Could those media dogs sense the attraction he tried to hide? Sniff it out like hounds to attack him in that soft, vulnerable place? Okay, maybe soft wasn't the right description…

"Couldn't figure it out if they grabbed me by the balls and told me to turn my damn head and cough."

The door creaking open made him pause, as did the heavy tread approaching. A very heavy tread. There was no grunting or things breaking, so Thor then. Sure enough, tall and strapping was sauntering in, looking remarkably normal in jeans and a flannel shirt, his long hair bound up at the back of his neck.

"You are troubled. A man need not understand the intricacies of your slang to understand that."

A prod at the bag earned an intrigued look and pushed the heavy weight against Steve where he'd rested his head on the fabric. "How'd you know it was Jane?"

For a moment, Thor was completely nonplussed. The two men stood in silence with only the bag creaking and swaying between them.

"When she looked at me and, in her eyes, I saw more than what I was. I saw what I could become."


	6. Thunder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was #69: Thunder
> 
> I was glad to find a different angle on this one, since having the god of thunder would be the easy way out!

It had taken some time and effort, but the bigger man had managed to get Steve talking. And talk he did; about anything and everything that fell out of his skull. The man he'd once been, the war he'd forced on himself, the heart-brother he'd lost, the love he'd never gotten the chance to dance with. He was every bit as exhausted as he had ever been as a little guy, slumped to the floor with his head in his hands. Yet, giving voice to the ghosts eased something in him, a weight buried so deep he no longer acknowledged the drag of it.

Then mundane reality reasserted itself with a rumble like agitated clouds clashing to bright flashes and the heavens roaring. Only it didn't come from outside, but from Steve's achingly empty guts.

"Not I," Thor protested with a chuckle and stood to offer a hand to his compatriot. "Even in the presence of revered ghosts, life reasserts itself. Come, my friend, we will drink and sup in honor of our pasts and present. Son of Coul has assured me that this small object named as a 'credit card' will procure anything that we may need in this world."

So Steve set aside his ghosts for the moment and accepted the offered hand to be effortlessly yanked to his feet. Actually, it was sort of nice, to not be the biggest, strongest guy in the room. A shot of welcome normalcy next to this ancient alien once named god by his own ancestors. In the city beyond, Thor cheerfully asked for ideas from anyone that would pause long enough to be accosted and eventually they followed directions and their noses to a noisy hole in the wall where the patrons cheerfully ogled before packing the heroes full of damn good food and enough booze to kill normal men their size thrice over. 

For Steve, the ghosts weren't gone, but temporarily mere shadows in the glare of a really nice night out. Thunder may be the deafening voice of lightning, but Thor was surprisingly normal and very welcome company. They each had their awkwardness in this world, but together they seemed to be making progress this night.


	7. Lightning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was #68: Lightning
> 
> When I rolled this right after 'Thunder', I nearly did a headdesk. Damn dice....

Drunk for the first time since he place his frail body into Doctor Erskine's care, Steve cheerfully tried to learn the boisterous song Thor was mauling. They both pulled up short, fighting the effects of the alcohol as a sleek black car slid to a halt nearby and the rear door yawned open.

"May I offer the gentlemen a ride?" Jarvis' familiar voice asked smoothly and Steve and Thor looked at each other and laughed.

"Thanks, Jarvis," Steve said as he sprawled out on the fancy upholstery and did his best to ignore that the front of the car was completely empty. "Did Tony send you?"

"No sir. I watch over social media on both the internet and more traditional outlets in an effort to protect the Avengers as best I am able. Your visit to The Cock and Sail has caused quite a stir."

"Swell," Steve grumbled under Thor's uproarious laugh and Jarvis' reply had a distinctive note of amusement.

"Not to worry, sir. It appears that all parties had a most enjoyable evening."

The two men worked on the terrible song on the drive, cracking up like old friends, bonded now. Already half-sobered, Steve pushed Thor onto his feet once they'd arrived at the tower and they laughed all the way to the upper floors that were now at least some semblance of home. 

The shock on the faces of their teammates silenced the two for a long moment before they burst into gales of laughter. The happy energy was every bit as shocking as electricity called down from the clouds.


	8. If

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was #82: If

It was so strange to watch, a slice of normalcy that she could only wear skin deep. And yet, she couldn't look away.

Dead asleep, Steve was sprawled out all over the couch on his belly, snoring quietly and drooling onto the upholstery. There was no shred of Captain America to him like this, just an ordinary guy after a bit of a drinking binge. Natasha found herself enjoying just watching him.

"And here, I heard he couldn't get drunk," Clint commented quietly from the darkness and it took an effort for Natasha not to jump. Only her deep familiarity with him stayed a violent reaction to the shock.

"Thought I couldn't," came the sleepy reply neither was expecting. Particularly as Steve hadn't moved except for the smile curling his mouth. Then his eyes flickered open and he regarded the twin shadowy figures. "Thanks for watching over me."

It was a twofold comment, given the times they had worked in different combinations in battle. Clint's eyes gleamed a bit differently for a moment, revealing the flicker of his smile, while Natasha nodded silently. Groaning, Stave sat up, ignoring the heavy feel of their gazes on him, and ruffled his wrecked hair. When Clint spoke up, there was no mistaking the amusement in his voice.

"So, what'd they give you to get you and Thunder god screwy enough to sing your way home?"

Chuckling with warm embarrassment, Steve took a moment to look up again. "Whiskey."

Now, he couldn't see Clint's expression, but he'd guess it reflected Natasha's skepticism. Something smug and maybe even a little flirtatious danced at the edge of his smile. "The bartender took us as a personal challenge. I know we at least broke into a third box."

Natasha's expression of faint disgust brought up a bark of laughter, a freeing sound.

"The bottles, Nat. They come in boxes. I'm pretty sure there were a good dozen bottles. Maybe Thor will remember."


	9. Sound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was #37: Sound

"There is no way you drank six plus bottles of whiskey, Steve," Natasha flat tone brought up more laughter, the sound of it warm in the space.

"I did! With beer chasers. Dave was experimenting on us. The bartender. He was Dave. There was this really tasty, hoppy thing I forget the name of, but I'll go back later. And Thor found something sweet he liked, so I'll get him a keg. Or several." 

Even Clint had to admire the full-body cat stretch Steve pulled, yawning hugely before slumping back onto the couch.

"I haven't had that much fun in longer than I can remember."

All of them felt their ghosts, but the night was kind and the feel in the room remained surprisingly calm and warm.

"Glad you had a good time, Cap," Clint said as he stood suddenly and moved out of the shadows, pausing unexpectedly. "Steve."

Pleased at the use of his name, Steve offered a hand, accepting the quick grip of the smaller man's hand. "Thanks, Clint. G'night."

"You too. 'Night, Nat."

She murmured farewell and quiet fell over the pair as Clint left them. Still a little woozy from the drink, Steve wracked his mind for something to say, but his voice failed him once again.


	10. Kitchen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt was #98: Writer's choice: Kitchen
> 
> As there are only 5 'writer's choice' boxes on the table of 100, I have no idea how I rolled 3 of them this earlier on!

"I'm starved," Steve announced suddenly and climbed to remarkably steady feet for a man that had only just confessed to a consumption of very strong distilled spirits that could be measured in gallons. He still marveled over the availability of food in this new age; good plentiful food of quality. Steve had never eaten so well in his life and the simple, physical satiation of hunger soothed him a way that few could understand.

And it was so good to sate the needs of this body the way it really wanted and needed. Over time he could feel himself growing ever stronger and more solid with his body not wanting for good, healthy fuel. Fresh milk and marbled meats and tangy cheese and crispy bread and flawless eggs and endless vegetables in all shapes and colors, as much as he could eat. And bacon, glorious whole pig bellies brined and smoked to perfection that he could cut into thick slabs should he want to.

It was bliss.

Humming to himself, Steve browsed the restaurant-sized refrigerator and pulled out a mess of supplies to play with. More came from the cupboards and the massive walk-in pantry.

Despite herself, Natasha was fascinated. 

In many respects, she understood his… intake. But she didn't really get his pure glee in not just the consumption, but the preparation. Her deprivations had been different than his and hunger was simply another layer of that ingrained training. One she could ignore for long periods if necessary. 

Limping still on her damaged leg, Natasha made her way over to the sprawling communal kitchen and settled to one of the barstools at the counter before hoisting her sore leg to rest on the stool beside her to watch silently.

The mess of egg and savories he dumped unceremoniously onto a plate looked the mutant love child of scrambled eggs and an omelet and was generous enough to feed half the Avengers. If Thor wasn't joining them at least. That man could easily equal Steve's appetites. 

Natasha blinked as a fork clattered to the counter next to her elbow and a plate of fruit and slabs of bacon and buttered bread spun to a halt next to the eggy monstrosity. Steve grinned and dug in, leaning on his elbows on the counter. If anyone walked into the room, they'd get quite an eyeful of that fine ass.

Faintly annoyed and embarrassed by her wandering thoughts, Natasha picked up the fork and decided that maybe she could enjoy the moment as more than just fuel, but of friendship too.


End file.
